We got to the club before Sarky and I told the officer thanks, that he didn't have to be held up any longer. His response was: "Do you think I'd leave before the guy that a great gal like you would go halfway around the world for?" I was just coming out of the lavatory when I spied Sarky coming to the front door. It didn't take him long to spot me. We rushed to each other; he grabbed me and tossed me around in a circle, yelling: "You're getting fat, baby!" I probably weighed 100 lbs., up from the 95 lbs. when he had last seen me.
After an excited hour we finally said goodbye to the captain and Sarky and I went to the billeting office to get me a room. Sarky said he was due to be shipped out the next day. Sad news but nothing could mar our reunion for the time being. I felt like a Canadian Mountie: I had chased my man and finally caught him.We went to the assigned hotel and when we looked at the room Sarky said: "You aren't going to stay here.” Back to the billeting office for another assignment, where we were told that there was only one other room available and it was in the same hotel. So back we went to where a French captain was just moving out. There were some panes in the windows, which the other room had lacked, and the bed covers looked a bit cleaner; there was running water in the sink for a change. I just turned the covers over and hoped that that hadn't been done too many times before. We finally said goodbye before I hit the sack to dream pleasant dreams.
I was suddenly awakened by shouts and noise outside the window. Quickly getting out of bed I looked outside. People were running in the street. The sky was lit up periodically by flares, outlining the harbor. The firing of anti-aircraft batteries created the noise. I later learned that a German plane had been photographing the harbor and the shelling was an attempt to shoot it down. I didn't know what to do but decided I was better off behind my locked door. I went back to bed, covered up my head and eventually went back to sleep.
I was awakened by a pounding on my door. "Telephone, mademoiselle." About the third repetition I made out what was being said and opened the door, followed the old woman down to a phone in the lobby. "I'm still here, baby, not shipping out; meet you in town as soon as possible” I was in heaven. I took a sponge bath in the room, put on the same clothes which I wore for the next 10 days straight.
As soon as Sarky arrived we went to the Red Cross club for breakfast - greasy donuts and bitter coffee. It was a beautiful winter day and we just walked around the port city taking in the sights. Sarky had an aunt Mimi in Marseilles (the home town of his mother who was a World War I bride) so we tried to find a telephone directory so as to locate her address. No directories had been issued since the war had begun so we were unable to locate her. Later we learned from his mother that his camp was very close to Mimi's apartment, that he had unknowingly passed it frequently.
That evening, along with several of Sarky's friends, we went to a night spot. Dancing was forbidden out of respect for French men and women in uniform. However, some club owners would allow American customers to dance, post lookouts outside the door to watch for police.
Sarky was supposed to ship out in a couple of days but the day of departure occurred 10 days later. One day we hitchhiked to Nice, had lunch at one of the many sidewalk cafes and walked along the beach. We ate oysters on the half shell, rather Sarky did. I tried one, and just like it was on a string, as soon as it hit my stomach it was right back again. After that I concentrated on the crunchy French bread and we both drank the cheap but excellent white wine.
One evening we were drinking wine with some of Sarky's comrades at a sidewalk cafe. They thought I, too, should wear paratrooper wings but that I'd have to earn them. To qualify paratroopers had to make five practice jumps, so it was proposed that I do the same - from the top of a cafe table. After drinking several glasses of wine I was amenable, jumped five times from the table and was presented jumper wings. The soldiers gave me a beautiful blue scarf and carried me back to the hotel on their shoulders. Being without a change of clothes I wore the scarf as a blouse substitute when I washed my clothes.
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| Va Va Voom!! |
One morning when Sarky arrived from camp I told him I wasn't feeling well and had a headache, wanted to talk to one of the Red Cross gals. I saw her in private and asked if she had any sanitary napkins - I was desperate. She gave one to me but had no suggestions as to how I could get more. Sarky asked me if my headache was because of my menstrual period. I was mortified to talk about it but gave an affirmative nod and told him that I needed equipment. So we went to a pharmacy and I looked over the shelves for a familiar object. Sarky could speak some French but not enough for this occasion, so we just stood there looking and not talking. Suddenly the astute clerk asked: "Pour vous, mademoiselle?" "Qui", I responded. He produced a wrapped package, took the proper amount of francs from my outstretched hand in exchange for the napkins.
By the tenth day of my visit Sarky began to worry about my leave having run out, said I ought to be returning to my home base before getting into trouble. Planes were now flying from Paris to my base in the Azores so I'd merely have to catch a flight from Marseilles to Paris. I did finally leave but it was a mighty sad day when I waved goodbye to Sarky from the plane window, wondering if I'd ever see him again. I'm sure that every couple shared that thought during wartime goodbyes.
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